Our enemies and our friends

At Flopping Aces, Curt has posted a lengthy interview with Col. Brown, the Commander of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. The Colonel's take on the subject is fascinating. As you know, the MSM has been going haywire about the fact that Iraq is becoming an "insurgent" magnet (I think they mean "paramilitary deathsquad" magnet), describing hordes of blood-thirsty, hardened fighters pouring in from all over. Brown points out the truth: these incoming fighters are sad sacks from other countries, brainwashed into thinking they'll be fighting some gilded Islamic crusade. They're almost grateful to be captured and removed from real fighting. While the MSM has painted these sad sacks as warriors, they've been equally assiduous in painting the legitimate Iraqi troops, who are working with American forces, as pathetic bums, desperate for a few dinars. In Colonel Brown's estimation, while the quality of the Iraqi troops does run the gamut, many of them are in fact superb fighters, and all the troops are showing improvement. Anyway, don't take my word for it. Read the interview for yourself.